Synergy Sports Technology uses advanced statistics combined with video pulled from each possession throughout the season to give coaches of more than 300 NCAA Division I men's basketball programs a comprehensive scouting tool. Synergy co-founders Garrick Barr and Scott Mossman, former college coaches, dissected Saturday's national semifinals for USA TODAY Sports.

LOUISVILLE VS. WICHITA STATE

Wichita State Offense vs. Louisville Defense

The closest comparison to Louisville's defense that Wichita State faced this season might have come Nov. 13 in a 53-51 win at VCU. The Rams do exert the same pressure as the Cardinals, but it's close. Wichita State pushed the ball up the floor, moved it around before the defense was set, and launched 3-pointers. But they made just 3 of 19 in the hurried tempo.

A more efficient offense is to post up 6-foot-8 Carl Hall.

"The data says Louisville is not an effective team in the post defensively," Mossman said. "You think of (Gorgui) Dieng as this great shot blocker, but he only weighs 215 pounds. He is a skinny guy. He is not going to be banging guys in the post."

The issue is handling Louisville's pressure to be able to find Hall in the post. Wichita State point guard Malcolm Armstead turns the ball over on 17.6 percent of his possessions. On 483 possessions, Synergy data rated Armstead as "average" in transition and "good" in half court.

In a half-court offense when he is isolated, Armstead rarely passes the ball and makes just 38 percent of his shots. When he passes out of isolations, his teammates have an adjusted field goal percentage (a shooting percentage that includes 3-pointers) of 70 percent.

Wichita State's offensive efficiency is the same against zone and man-to-man. The Shockers score 40 percent of possessions vs. man and 40.7 percent of their possessions against zone, which is important because Louisville plays man defense 59.9 percent of the time and zone 40.1 percent.

The takeaway: Against Louisville's aggressive defense, Armstead needs to share the ball.

Louisville Offense vs. Wichita State Defense

Russ Smith and Peyton Siva make up 40 percent of Louisville's offense; Smith is almost 25 percent. Louisville plays pick-and-roll with those two guards. Smith will keep the ball 63.8 percent of the time on pick-and-roll plays. Smith has a poor points per possession on pick-and-rolls (0.679). Wichita State has to be aware of this and rather than let him set up teammates, Smith has to be forced to keep the ball.

Wichita State is very good at defending the pick-and-roll. If Smith is running the pick-and-roll, the Shockers have a very good chance of defending and stopping Louisville's half-court offense.

Siva, however, is a better bet for Louisville on the pick-and-roll. He passes out of his pick-and-roll sets 52.6 percent of the time, and the Cardinals score on 43.2 percent of these plays.

Wichita State also allows a very high 0.982 points per possession on spot ups out of the pick-and-roll. Siva is more apt to pass out of the pick-and-roll. It will be interesting to see how Louisville coach Rick Pitino structures his offense.

When you throw out the transition game, 80 percent of Louisville's offense is a pick-and-roll. Wichita allows just 0.714 points per possession against the pick-and-roll.

The takeaway: Louisville gets 19 percent of its offense from the transition game and averages 1.12 points per possession in transition. Wichita State, however, is one of the best teams in the country at stopping transition scoring, allowing just 0.867 points per possession in transition. The data says Louisville is not going to push around Wichita State.